UK Chief Scientific Adviser explores energy in Texas

I recently had the opportunity to join Sir Mark Walport, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, on his trip through Texas before he headed on to Canada. Our Science and Innovation teams coordinated his visit, which focused on the potential for building UK-North America links in energy and sharing best practices in policy and regulation.  It’s a very timely topic as the EIA has just announced that the US is expected be the world’s largest producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons this year.  Improved drilling technologies for shale gas have had an immense impact on the energy market in the US, especially in Texas, which leads the nation in natural gas production.  Below are some of the highlights from his whirl-wind tour:

In Houston, Shale gas extraction was the hot topic. A briefing lunch with senior industry reservoir engineering scientists led to an enlightening conversation on the benefits and challenges of shale gas extraction.  This was complimented by a meeting discussing how water is used along the energy supply chain; and an exploration of how several oil and gas companies in Houston have come together with local universities and research centers to develop systems which use less water or re-use water in shale gas extraction.

One of the more memorable moments in Houston was during Sir Mark’s evening lecture about climate change and energy at the University of Houston.  He delved into the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its stark assessment that humans are the ‘dominant cause’ of climate disruption.  While this is well-known in the science community, Sir Mark pointed out the importance of the IPCC report because, as he put it, “Science is not finished until it’s communicated.”

As we moved on to Austin, Sir Mark and his delegation looked more closely at regulation, policy, and energy-efficient technologies through a wide range of meetings and tours.  The tour of Pike Powers Lab gave the Chief Scientific Adviser the opportunity to view a fully-integrated energy use, efficiency and testing lab, with usage data collected from 1000 volunteers across Texas.  This unique project can be compared to the UK’s own Energy Technology Institute Smart Systems and Heat Programme, which develops cost-optimised, smart energy systems.

It was a great experience to sit in on some of these meetings as we traversed the energy landscape of Texas.  It was very clear that the UK and the US both share the relentless drive to solve energy security issues and environmental challenges through scientific innovations and technologies. The lessons learned and the knowledge shared will no doubt go on to spark many conversations about real and beneficial scientific collaboration between the UK and the US in the realm of energy research, technology and policy.